38:
531:, July 23, 1995. Accessed October 28, 2007. "There are a few other key things that define Mr. Stern. He grew up in Inwood, a mixture of Jewish, Irish and Greek immigrants several generations ago but now a largely Dominican neighborhood.... He was a child prodigy, graduating from the Bronx High School of Science at 15."
458:, a Manhattan-based good government group. Over nine years, he penned over 750 articles on public policy for the organization. He sent them to a list of people who ask for them, which at one point included 14,000 subscribers. They are also available on New York Civic's website and were regularly republished by
424:
During Stern's tenure as Parks
Commissioner, numerous allegations of racism and similar bias were made against him. Lawsuits followed, leading to settlements costing NYC taxpayers millions of dollars. As reported in The Chief-Leader of March 7, 2008 "...the city agreed to pay $ 21 million to the
403:
at every playground the city built or renovated. According to his employee, and later successor, Adrian Benepe, Stern had an obsession with animal-themed architecture, and oversaw the installation of hundreds of animal structures in playgrounds. Another signature policy was the erection of large
332:
appointed him executive director of the agency. He later became assistant city administrator in the office of Deputy Mayor
Timothy W. Costello. In 1969, the NYC Departments of Licensing, and of Markets, Weights and Measures were consolidated into the
388:
in 1993 brought him back into city government; he was appointed Parks
Commissioner, starting January 1, 1994. He was one of the few Giuliani commissioners to serve the entire eight years of his mayoralty, plus a month with Mayor Bloomberg.
341:, appointed Stern associate commissioner and the next year he became her first deputy. Commissioner Myerson resigned on March 9, 1973 and suggested Stern succeed her, however, he continued to serve under the new commissioner
368:
Stern was re-elected in 1977, winning by 16,000 votes. In 1981, he received the
Republican as well as the Liberal nomination, but the position was abolished by the Federal courts and no election was held.
976:
392:
An eccentric (but popular) aspect of his later tenure as Parks
Commissioner was his insistence that Parks employees and friends of parks have nicknames (called "park names" or
966:
425:
plaintiffs and their attorneys to settle a lawsuit accusing the Parks
Department of racial bias." In the settlement, the Parks Department admitted to no wrongdoing.
674:
841:
316:
Stern began in public service in 1957 as law clerk to
Matthew M. Levy, a New York State Supreme Court Justice. He was appointed secretary of the Borough of
357:
line, defeating the
Republican candidate by about 1000 votes to win second place (two were elected per borough). His at-large colleague on the council was
522:
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893:
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On
September 12, 1976, Stern married Margaret Lora Ewing, a pediatrician whom he met at a meeting of the Park Lincoln Free Democrats club on the
579:
308:, graduating at 15. He attended City College and was the youngest member of the class of 1957 at Harvard Law School, at the age of twenty-two.
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of
Manhattan. They had two sons: Jared Ewing, born in December 1977, and Kenan Walter Davis, born in June 1980.
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in many parks. In 2021, the parks department announced it was opening a Home for Retired Playground Animals in
749:"Stern's Anti-Merit Regime | www.thechief-leader.com | The Chief-Leader NYC Civil Service Newspaper"
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675:"Parks Department Insists It's Not Planning To Rip Out All The Animal Sculptures From NYC Playgrounds"
396:) used for communication, especially over walkie-talkies. Stern's personal nickname was "StarQuest".
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In November 1973 Stern was elected to the city council as a councilman-at-large for Manhattan on the
801:
638:
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246:
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523:"Guarding the Turf, Stepping on Toes; Henry Stern, Passionate and Blunt, Champions the City Parks"
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appointed Stern Commissioner of Parks and Recreation; he served for Koch's second and third term.
304:, the son of Jean (Friedlander), a bookkeeper, and Walter Stern, a tent manufacturer. He attended
328:, the first African-American woman to become a federal court judge. In 1966, Parks Commissioner
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and the two worked together on many matters, including the sale of neckties emblazoned with the
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NYT. Clown Prince of the Emerald Empire. By DOUGLAS MARTIN, Published: March 19, 2000
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On February 4, 2002, Stern returned to the civic world as founder and president of
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Stern died on March 28, 2019, at the age of 83 from complications of advanced
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725:"The City's Battered, Beloved Playground Animals Are Retiring to Queens"
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699:"City 'looking into relocating' animal sculptures in playgrounds"
512:, March 28, 2019. By Robert D. McFadden. Accessed March 28, 2019.
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552:"Edward R. Dudley, 93, Civil Rights Advocate and Judge, Dies"
504:"Henry J. Stern, Whose Urban Domain Was Green, Is Dead at 83"
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to raise funds for libraries and other public purposes.
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NYC mayoral administration, he served as president of
320:
in 1962, and was an assistant to Borough Presidents
977:
Deaths from Parkinson's disease in New York (state)
276:(May 1, 1935 – March 28, 2019) was a member of the
580:"Bess Myerson Quits as City Consumer-Affairs Aide"
967:New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
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894:New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
866:New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
837:Article on Henry J. Stern from New York Magazine
286:New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
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399:During his tenure, Stern mandated at least one
288:from 1983 to 1990 and again from 1994 to 2000.
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608:"On Sunday; Nomenclature, Thy Name Is Henry"
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335:New York City Department of Consumer Affairs
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65:January 1, 1994 – February 3, 2002
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16:American lawyer and politician (1935–2019)
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112:April 2, 1983 – February 4, 1990
842:New York Times profile of Henry J. Stern
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438:While Stern was out of Parks during the
19:For other people named Henry Stern, see
932:The Bronx High School of Science alumni
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280:from 1974 to 1983 and appointed as the
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658:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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957:Liberal Party of New York politicians
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345:until the end of her tenure in 1973.
578:Lichtenstein, Grace (9 March 1973).
550:Saxon, Wolfgang (11 February 2005).
832:Henry J. Stern's non-profit NYCivic
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53:Parks Commissioner of New York City
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466:, and several other publications.
14:
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606:Martin, Douglas (15 March 1998).
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723:Spivack, Caroline (2021-05-27).
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937:City College of New York alumni
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774:"Stephanie Rooks, Jared Stern"
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673:staff/ben-yakas (2021-03-30).
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191:Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
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982:20th-century American lawyers
952:New York City Council members
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962:New York (state) Republicans
414:Flushing Meadows–Corona Park
404:flagstaffs with naval-style
363:Seal of the City of New York
306:Bronx High School of Science
235:Bronx High School of Science
21:Henry Stern (disambiguation)
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802:"Sarah Luskin, Kenan Stern"
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175:Manhattan, New York City
420:Discrimination lawsuits
401:animal-themed sculpture
410:Parks Department flags
384:The election of Mayor
326:Constance Baker Motley
703:www.brooklynpaper.com
521:Bumiller, Elisabeth.
359:Robert F. Wagner, Jr.
296:Stern grew up in the
278:New York City Council
892:Commissioner of the
864:Commissioner of the
337:; its commissioner,
147:Elisabeth F. Gotbaum
88:Elisabeth F. Gotbaum
483:Parkinson's disease
460:The Huffington Post
386:Rudolph W. Giuliani
201:Margaret Lora Ewing
850:Political offices
807:The New York Times
779:The New York Times
613:The New York Times
585:The New York Times
557:The New York Times
528:The New York Times
509:The New York Times
373:Parks Commissioner
274:Henry Jordan Stern
251:Harvard Law School
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814:29 September
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349:City Council
339:Bess Myerson
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282:Commissioner
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187:(2019-03-28)
142:Succeeded by
118:Appointed by
107:
95:Succeeded by
71:Appointed by
60:
927:2019 deaths
922:1935 births
260:Founder of
172:May 1, 1935
130:Preceded by
83:Preceded by
30:Henry Stern
916:Categories
898:1994—2002
870:1983—1990
759:2009-09-01
734:2021-05-29
709:2021-05-29
684:2021-05-29
645:2008-11-05
489:References
429:Civic life
292:Early life
257:Occupation
242:Alma mater
168:1935-05-01
679:Gothamist
318:Manhattan
231:Education
108:In office
61:In office
654:cite web
223:Children
284:of the
217:
209:
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123:Ed Koch
729:Curbed
298:Inwood
196:Spouse
177:, U.S.
406:yards
211:(
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816:2017
788:2017
660:link
621:2017
593:2017
565:2017
182:Died
162:Born
918::
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652:{{
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23:.
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